Effect of heat application on labor pain

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of heat application as one of the cutaneous stimulation techniques on the intensity of labor pain. Two groups of 30 women each, who were in active labor with severe low back pain were asked to respond to a visual analogue scale starting from zero [no pain] to 10 [endurable pain]. Two types of treatment were applied, hot water bag and placebo [saline pack]. Labor progression and the required analgesic were recorded during three-hour period before any of the treatment was applied and during the two subsequent hours. Results indicated that women in the placebo group need more analgesia than the hot water bag group. The rate of C/S and instrument-assisted deliveries was higher in the placebo group than in the hot water bag group. More women in the hot water bag group planned to use hot water bag in future deliveries

retrospective comparative study of nurses' action during the 12th of October, 1992 earthquake in Egypt

This research aims at comparing the effect of presence or absence of a disaster plan on nurses' action as actually happened during the event of October, 1992 earthquake in Egypt. Data were collected utilizing an interview questionnaire to staff nurses, head nurses as well as members from nursing top level managers at different health care sectors. Data were statistically analyzed. Different levels of action were identified according to the type of setting and availability of a plan. Based on the results of this study, a proposed program about how nurses should behave and act in case of disaster was designed by the investigator to be implemented in a coming phase

Effect of home care on the maternal progress and fetal outcome among pregnancy induced hypertensive mothers

Two groups, 50 subjects each, were formulated: An experimental group which followed a home care plan under the direction of the investigators in addition to the hospital routine care, and a control group which received the hospital treatment only. Results pertaining to maternal progress indicated improvement in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure from initial to final readings among experimental group [F = 38.3 diastolic, F = 47.6 systolic readings, P <0.0001]. At the same time, no improvement was observed in systolic or diastolic blood pressure in the control group. Also, a significant difference was found in proteinuria from initial to final urine analysis [X2 = 46.1, P <0.0001]. In the experimental group, no difference was found in the level of proteinuria among control group [X2 = 9.2, P = 0.06]. Finally, no significant difference was found between experimental and control groups in relation to the degree of edema. Results related to fetal outcome showed a significant difference in the infant's Apgar score between home care and no care groups. None of the home care infants had a low Apgar score, compared with 20% of the control group. In addition, none of the infants in the home care group had died, while 20% of infants in the control group had died a few hours after delivery. 34% of infants of control group had small birth weight for gestational age compared with only 8% of infants in the home care group